As many as 500 people celebrated with cancer survivors and remembered loved ones lost to cancer at the Relay For Life event in Wanaka this past weekend (March 27-28).

Cancer is the country’s single biggest cause of death, and most New Zealanders will have some experience of it – either personally or through a relative or friend.

The Relay for Life fundraiser events, which take place around the country each year, help the Cancer Society provide a range of support services and fund health promotion and research programmes - and last weekend’s fundraising in Wanaka has raised more than $100,000 for the cause. 

Event coordinator Jane Sharman said she was “delighted” with the second Relay For Life in Wanaka.

Teams of ten people walked or ran around the track, relay style.

“It was the best of the community - people being generous, and people catching up with people they hadn’t seen for a while,” she said.

The relay involves teams of 10 who walk or run around a track for 24 hours. In a relay style, each team needs to have at least one participant on the track throughout the event. Each team has a campsite around the track and a range of entertainment and activities keep energy levels high.

“We had about 357 registered, but so many more people came down on the day. At one time there would have been about 500 people.”

Shona Jarvie from Wanaka’s supportive care team; In the background is Nadia Ellis (left) from Cardrona-Treble Cone, who spoke at the Candlelight Ceremony about her mother’s experience with cancer, and Janeen Holmes, team leader supportive care Queenstown Lakes Central Otago Cancer Society.

The 24 hour event featured dancing, musicians, bands, MAC student activities, cricket, volleyball, gymnastics and more.

Jane said the crowd included mothers running with babies in prams, people in their 70s, and lots of teenagers.

“MAC [Mount Aspiring College] had a great presence, there were three official MAC teams, and other teams of MAC students,” she said. 

One of the groups which made the most money was a group of 12-year-olds, who raised $7,000.

The total amount raised had reached $100,000 by Monday evening, but it continues to tick over. Jane said food vendors at the event will be donating, and anyone who wishes to can still donate - either to a team or the cause in general - via the website for the next few weeks.

The candlelight ceremony, where candles were lit in memory of loved ones, was a highlight of the weekend, Jane said. Another was the three local people who spoke about their personal experience with cancer.

“They were powerful speeches, really emotional. People know these people, they can relate to them, and that makes it that much more powerful,” Jane said.

The weekend weather offered “a bit of everything”, Jane said, but people weren’t deterred by the rain or wind.

“People trucked on through. I think they were pretty happy.”

Jane thanked the event’s major partner Mega Mitre 10 Wanaka, for being “incredibly supportive and generous”, as well as the gold sponsors Radio Wanaka, PROACTIVE24 Health and Fitness, and Stonewood Homes.

PHOTOS: Wanaka App